NICO: The Wanderer Returns
by Livin In Sin
Summary: History... Repeats... Itself... The Wanderer returns from his centuries of exile and meets up with Ico's grandson, just as the Colossi begin to emerge anew.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here I am again, flitting to another idea. This takes place some time after the events of Ico, Ico himself is now an old man living on the edge of the forbidden realm with a while tribe of horned men (the horns do not manifest in women), this fic centers around his grandson Nico and the one and only Wander, who, yes, is still alive, he's THAT hardcore. Well, there's a reason for that, an' it's a big spoiler so I'll shut my yap and start giving you something productive.

Author's request: Please leave a review, I really do care about this fic and want to know your honest opinions, I don't just want to boost my review score, so do me a favor will you? Also I knocked this out in an afternoon, so if there's any big mistakes tell me and I can go back over the chapter with a fine toothed comb.

Disclaimer: Don't own Shadow or Ico.

NICO: The Wanderer Returns

On Wings of Fury, A Wanderer Returns

The desert was still, there was nothing but sand in every direction around the city, this was the Last Town, a place between civilization and the Forbidden Realm, its cursed inhabitants knew well the brutality of both places and were more than content to rest between the two, safe from neither, but far enough from both to keep themselves alive. Nico had been born and raised in this town, when the first settlers had come here, crossing from the Forbidden Realm the town was already here, ruined, but here nonetheless, it was seen by their people as a blessing, an omen that they should stay here and be content. The few who strayed out of the settlement, should they make it through the encircling desert were met with fear and loathing in the lands beyond, they scarcely returned, though Nico's grandfather had boasted that he had been born in the lands beyond and survived their trials to return to his ancestral home. This boast was generally accepted, as Ico had had his horns shattered when he first found the settlement, though he had never said how it happened it was speculated by many, Nico included, that the outlanders had done it to him, as they did so hate their kind.

It was still cool when Nico awoke, the sun had not fully risen as he stepped out into the street, wrapped in little more than a tunic and cloak. It was cold now, but it was going to get a lot warmer. Ascending the wall which faced the Forbidden Realm, Nico looked out over the sand toward that place where no one dared to tread. The legend among his people was that an ancestor of their race had crossed into the wastes which lay beyond to fight the devil himself, but that he had never returned, every year on the same day the Shamans sang The Ballad of The Wanderer, a ritual which invoked his immortal soul, who prophecy held would lead them out of the desert and into a land of plenty. Not that Nico's people lived in poverty, anyone can tell you that living in a desert is hard, but it just so happened that far below the city rested a subterranean lake, which had allowed them not only to drink, but to grow food of their own, of course their was the occasional hunt, but more than anything they relied on the roots and fungi that were at home down there in the dark.

"Nico!" His grandfather called, "Get down from there!" Nico turned to see his grandpa, a tall man with greying hair and a crown of no less than six horns, a rarity among their kind, the Shaman had speculated that Nico was of the pure line of the Wanderer, undiluted by outlander blood and that when he returned the spirits imbued him with a fraction of their sire's spirit. Less reliable sources speculated that Ico had carved the horns himself and that he was just a crazy old man who had never set foot in the outland during his life. Nico couldn't believe this, he would always ask his grandpa about what he had seen out there, to which the old man would usually reply, "Cruelty, hate, all the things that make men fallible. Beauty, love, compassion, everything that make them great."

"Alright." Nico groaned, dropping his eyes to the ground and kicking a loose stone from the wall before descending the stairs. He reached his grandfather and looked up at him with a mixture of boredom and anticipation, today was _his day_ after all, not to mention the bundle underneath his grandfather's arm. "What's that?" he asked, knowing full well he'd know soon enough.

"Why can't you ever wait for the Wanderer's Song?" the old man questioned, "Did I raise such an impatient little rascal?"

"Well then it's not MY fault grandpa. Don't make your grandson suffer for your mistakes."

The old man ruffled the young boys hair and ran his hand down one of the boys two horns, "These are getting longer everyday, you really are turning into a man, maybe you can replace this old codger on the next hunt?" Nico's face visibly brightened at the idea, the idea of chasing big game, the biggest of game across the open dunes. "Maybe you should get a little more patience first though, don't want you rushing under some Quadro's feet."

Nico laughed nervously at the thought of being smashed into the sand, gallows humour was certainly alive and well with his grandpa Ico, "Now go get a good spot near the Shaman's place while I get the last touches made to this." He nodded his head, indicating the lengthy parcel under his arm. "Save me a seat would you?"

"Sure thing." Nico replied as he sped off, as he ran through the narrow streets, doors opened, people began to show themselves to the world, horned boys still clinging to their mother's skirts, old men like his grandfather, long in horn as they were in the tooth, some like himself on the cusp of manhood, their horns beginning to really show themselves and the masked Shamans flocking to the stage where they would conduct the ritual. As Nico entered the central square he noticed that the raised platform had already been set up and the carved wooden idols were being set in place. The idols which would be put to flame as a beacon to the Wanderer shortly after the ceremony.

The masked figures had already begun to gather, they'd conduct the morning blessing, then there would follow a day of reveling and a solemn evening service, stalls were already being erected for the day, selling jewelery, food, scrolls filled with tales of heroics which took place on the far side of the world, these in particular interested Nico. The whole square had a sense of anticipation about it.

Nico took a pair of reed mats from the pile by the square's entrance and laid them down as near to the stage as he could, some had already got there before him. Here he waited, it wasn't long before his grandpa joined him, his joints clicking in their sockets as he sat down beside Nico. "Not a bad spot." He said, " We ought to get a decent view from here, as his grandfather shifted his weight, trying to get comfortable, Nico noticed something under his cloak.

"What's that you've got?" He asked, wondering if it was something to do with the parcel from before, but that was sat next to his grandfather on the opposite side to him.

"Hm, this? Well I was going to surprise you, but I suppose there's no harm." Old Ico then reached inside his cloak and pulled out a wooden sword, Nico's eyes widened as he realized what part he was to play in this year's festivities. He was to run the Gauntlet, whoever was chosen, by ballot or suggestion, ran a Gauntlet of 16 other young men, to present a Shaman with a carved wooden sword, representing the one which was used by the Wanderer during his pilgrimage, if the boy succeeded it was seen as an omen of prosperity and good tidings, that the spirit of The Ancestor (which is how they sometimes referred to the Wanderer) would smile down on them in that year.

Overcome with excitement he grabbed his grandfather in an embrace that nearly knocked the old man flat, "Oh thank you grandpa! I promise I'll make it!"

"Shh, keep it down." His grandfather ordered, "No one's meant to know yet."

Nico composed himself, drew back and nodded, his face had brightened with a mixture of love and excitement, "Hey, it _is_ your birthday after all." His grandfather said as he ruffled his dark hair once more. Nico couldn't help but grin right through the opening ceremony, conducted in an ancient language he only knew bits and pieces of, when the revelling began he immediately took the wooden sword and moved to the back of the square. There he waited in giddy anticipation for the words he so craved, silence fell, this was _his_ moment.

"We call the Wanderer!" One of the Shamans bellowed across the audience, "Send him forward!" A corridor formed down the middle of the square, Nico stepped into it, as did 16 other figures in his path, masked and costumed to resemble the 16 idols, He had to hack his way through them, to the altar of worship, he was after all, The Wanderer. He sped forward and met the first enemy, 'cutting' him down swiftly and stepping over his body to meet the next who he dispatched just as fast. Then he began to dodge and weave through the others, as the Wanderer progressed the boys playing the Gauntlet creatures got older, bigger, stronger, until Nico was faced with one that towered over him. He attempted to slip past, earning himself a split lip and a spell in the dirt for his poor reflexes, instead he opted a more aggressive approach, he refused to fail, he was The Wanderer. Ducking low he swung the wooden sword with all his might, it struck the behemoth's shin and he collapsed forward, Nico then slammed the edge of the sword right onto the other boy's neck, sending him into the dirt this time and allowing Nico to clamber up onto the stage. There he knelt and offered up the sword, the Shaman raised above the crowd and shouted in that ancient language which Nico only knew a little of, _"Your Wanderer returns!" _The rest of the day seemed almost a blur, everyone patting him on the back, wanting to shake hands with 'the conquering hero' and to wish him a happy birthday or to try and set him up with their daughter, a few offers Nico considered following up on, the Shamans sang the Wanderer's song, later on his grandfather presented him with his gift, a bow and a quiver of arrows, he wanted to practice as soon as possible but after the evening ritual he was tired and returned home, falling into the realm of dreams.

_He was lying out in the desert, dark figures with pale blue eyes were bent down to look at him, he didn't know quite what they wanted, but he didn't like the look of them. For what seemed like an eternity the figures stood and stared at him. In the distance he heard a shrill whistle and the figures arched backward, grasping their heads in pain, in a hail of arrows they were driven away from Nico. And another strange figure approached, wearing a cloak and carrying a sword at his hip as well as the offending bow. He knelt down and put his lips close to Nico's ear, "Wake up."_

Nico was jerked awake by the sound of screaming in the street below his bedroom window, he rushed to look out and saw people rushing through the street, screaming and pointing to the sky. His grandfather burst into the room and yelled for him to get away from the window. He stuck his head out and searched the sky before ushering Nico out of the room, the young man slung his quiver over his shoulder and grabbed his bow, it was only then that he realised his grandfather was carrying a sword. "We've got to go."

"Go where?" Nico asked, "There's open desert for miles around."

Disregarding his grandson's protest, Ico made for the stairs and then the door, knowing that his charge would fall in step behind, as they reached the street Nico was knocked down by someone fleeing the other way, he found himself separated from his grandfather in a crowd so numerous he might as well be looking for a grain of sugar in a desert. Knowing that he wouldn't find his grandpa again and not wanting to flee at any rate, he made for the walls, ascending the steps as fast as he could, already hearing his heart beating in his ears. He saw that others had assembled up hear, at least he wouldn't be alone. Drawing an arrow he aimed his bow at the ground over the wall, expecting to be met with an army, what he saw instead was what he saw every day, sand.

"There!" Someone yelled, Nico looked up and his eyes locked onto a huge birdlike figure gliding toward them. It Barely missed the wall, but caught it with its tail, crushing some of the unlucky archers and causing Nico to fall back down into the city, landing on a pile of hay. Having struck his head on the way down he descended into darkness, the last thing he heard was a shrill whistle and fevered cries of "Who is that!?"

-

Wander sat atop his black steed and whistled, loud and long, he knew how much the colossi hated this, sure enough the huge stone bird that was Avion wheeled around. He didn't know whether the Colossus recognised him or not and in all honesty he didn't care, he was simply here to do his job, he was here to kill a mountain. Leaving his bow on the saddle he drew his sword and jumped down to the sand, sending the horse on its way, as Avion approached he simply walked to meet it, as the distance closed he sped to a run, then, as they met he released a single, blood curdling scream which reverberated throughout the town. He leaped into the air as Avion skimmed the ground and thrust the sword deep into its wing, holding on for dear life., the Colossus began to gain height again, Wander retrieved his sword and began to make for the wing's tip, hand over hand, one inch at a time, even as the bird wheeled above the town of his birth. He reached his destination and ran his hands over the vein there, he remembered their weak points, even if he didn't have the Sword of Ancients any longer.

Lifting his blade he thrust it into the flesh of the beast, it screamed, it was a satisfying noise to hear after so long, the bird wheeled and began to drop, Wander hung from its back as it skimmed the ground again, buffeting him against the sand and succeeding in dislodging him. He lay in the sand, his sword on the ground not far away, he tried to lift himself, but was pinned as Avion landed over him. He reached for his weapon in desperation as Avion simply looked down its stone nose at him, he looked back up, meeting pure blue eyes with his own. Avion's eye flashed orange with revelation and rage, Wander's did exactly the same, prompting Avion to cock its head with confusion.

"Kill me damnit." Wander commanded, "Come on! Do it you stupid buzzard! Kill me! Kill me like I killed your family! Kill me like I killed you!" Avion's eyes faded to blue and with a flexing of its great wings it shot into the air and away. Raising himself and grabbing his sword, Wander held a hand on his chest, out of breath from screaming and from the weight of the bird's limb. "Come back here you coward!" He sank to one knee, gritting his teeth with centuries of rage, "Why wont you end me!?" Breathing heavier still he fell forward into the sand and as Nico before him, fell into the darkness of dreams, haunted by nightmares of himself, his other self.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:(See Chapter 1)

A/N: I've got nothing much to say this time, guess I'll let the writing speak for itself. I tend to write about 2000 words per chapter, 5000 is usually my max unless I do a helluva long one shot, maybe I'll do a lengthly interlude with Wander or Ico later on, but until then you'll just have to put up with this shortness and choppiness, hope you don't mind too much. And before I forget there's an opinion poll linked into my profile, even if you don't leave a review just give me an indication what you thought of the first chapter. I'll probably post a poll every few chapters, so keep a watch if you want, I'll probably alert you when I do anyway.

NICO: The Wanderer Returns

The Wanderer Speaks, The Flight Of Nico

"They do look rather alike." Ico observed, "The stranger has no horns, but Nico is certainly his doppelgänger." The High Shaman Eril stood to his right, he felt it specifically strange that Ico had been injured, since he had run the Gauntlet that year, its seemed an ill omen. But he was just as concerned about the stranger lying on the bed beside the boy, when they'd brought him in he'd kept murmuring things in an ancient language which even Eril couldn't decipher the entirety of. Something about shadows and light, the foot that crushes mountains, gibberish to anyone else's ears, but not to his. It seemed too strange not to pick up on. It was the stranger who stirred first, attempting to rise, but held fast by the ropes Eril had tied himself.

"What in Hell's name are you doing?" The stranger growled, sounding more animal than man, "Let me go, now!"

"This is for our protection." Eril explained, "And for yours. Tell me child, what is you name?"

"Does it matter? Can you define me by name alone? Or do you just want a mark to scratch on my tombstone?"

"Come, boy. We mean you no harm. Tell us your name."

"My name is Wander."

"Do not blaspheme!" The Shaman ordered, his expression beneath his mask contorted into a sneer, "You are not our forbear. You are an outlander and should you continue with that claim you will not need a buzzard to slay you."

Wander tipped his head back and laughed, "Ha! Tell him who I am Ico!"

The old man stepped back in shock that was evident in his wrinkled features, "I don't know." He stammered, he'd met few outlanders while on his way back from the fortress where he'd met Yorda, "I've never met you."

"True." Wander confirmed, "Yet you suspect."

"Enough." Eril cut in, "You will tell us who you are, now!"

"How best to describe myself?" Wander pondered, "I live within shadows, I am a wasp who slays the mountains, a tick that duels the Gods, I am alone, no friends, no family, no sire, I know no joy, nor love, nor passion, nor sorrow. I am a Wanderer." Eril turned his back in disgust, Wander grunted, again trying to free himself.

"You'll wander no more, imposter."

"Who's there to stop me, Emon?"

The Shaman wheeled back around at the sound of that name. Wander had dropped it specifically for that reason. He looked at Wander closely and turned to leave, Ico continued to stare at the young man and sat at the foot of Nico's bed, looking across to him.

"I lose more friends that way." Wander said nonchalantly, "You know I speak the truth, Ico."

"How do you know me?"

"I know all about you, I know you still have the key." Ico's eyes widened, "That's right, you still have the sword, after all this time you can't bring yourself to destroy it. We share the same blood you and I, Ico. The same weakness, the same passions, the all consuming fire which drives men mad."

"Which is?"

"What else?" Wander smiled nostalgically, "The women we love."

"This is about Yorda."

Wander nodded. "I've seen her."

"Yorda died years ago, where could a vagabond like you meet her?"

"You still deny me, Ico? I met Yorda on the edge of dreams, she was on the way to see her mother, the woman that **I **loved. Because of you, she couldn't get her chance to see me again, but what you did was right. Yorda wanted me to tell you not to grieve. She knows you still have the nightmares, she wanted you to let go, for you and Nico to be happy."

"The edge of dreams?"

"We are born, we live and we die, that is the way of the world, a never ending loop, a cycle which is designed to aid the next generation in their rise to prosperity. I have wandered outside of that circle, I strayed from the destiny of men and in so doing, I damned them, I have lived long enough to see the future become the dust of history. I have already died, more than once in fact, but I have never seen the endless dream, only glimpsed at it through a shroud of darkness, it was there that I saw Yorda." Tears had begun to form in the corners of Ico's eyes, "You have to let me go, I have to get my hands on the sword." He cast his eyes over the other bed, "And I have to take Nico with me."

"Why now? Why Nico? Just, why?"

"How should I know, I've been treading the ether for centuries, it was only by chance that I saw you in Mono's castle. I think, had she known I was watching, she might have acted differently, but I did no worse for her sake."

"Out in the Forbidden Realm, what actually happened, did you really fight the devil?"

"After my own fashion, but only after I had helped him reincarnate. I killed what was never meant to have died, and in doing that I broke the life cycle, I inherited immortality and I hated it, while my body was reincarnated with _his_ soul, my own being was cast into the voids of time, from there I watched the curse I had created spread." Ico brushed a hand over one of his horns, "That's right, because of Mono's magic, the spirit of Dormin is strong in you, but stronger, I think, in Nico."

"What makes you say that?"

"He is much like myself. Dormin would be attracted to that, he is, after all, my direct line descendant. He is a shadowy reflection of me, even if he doesn't realize it himself. The Colossi will want him, they'll come back for him. I don't understand all the details myself, but in him I see the death of this world, the culmination of my disturbance of the life cycle. The ironic thing is that only he can stop it, but he has to choose to do so, without me." Ico knelt by his bed and began to undo the knots which held him, soon the Wanderer stood, poised to leap from the window out into the street.

"Can you make it?" Ico asked.

"Trust me, I'm the Wanderer."

-

Nico awoke To the sight of his grandfather sat on the end of his bed, looking very pensive, staring at a recently vacated bed next to the one he occupied. For a few moments he didn't speak and studied the old man, resting his chin on his interwoven fingers, he looked almost guilty. Becoming aware of the agony bounding its way about his head, Nico grasped it in his hands and let out a low moan. At once his grandfather's eyes were on him. As Nico grasped his throbbing head he became aware of something else, he was missing a horn.

Tears began to fill his eyes as he worked his fingers over the fractured stump, snapped off just as it was really starting to come through. Shifting himself up the bed, Ico placed a hand on his shoulder, "It'll wilt away, you'll get another." He assured the young man, not knowing whether it was the truth, but from what Wander had said he suspected as much. "Maybe you'll get a better set than mine." Nico leaned froward and wrapped his arms around the old man, still sobbing gently. "Don't worry about it, the important thing is that you're alright."

-

"Nico, we have to talk." They were back home, Nico now with a bandage wrapped around his head, the stump of his broken horn looking like a huge lump on the side of his head, "It's about the attack." Ico sat in his chair by the fire and Nico came to sit by him, on the floor with his legs crossed, he looked like the child he had been, eager to receive a story of the Wanderer or some other ancient hero, but he was to be a man soon, such tales held less value than good solid advice. "You know that the beast wasn't an ordinary animal? It was a Colossus, it came here because of you."

"Me? What did I ever do to it?"

"I don't know why it wanted you, but Eril is certain that that creature was here to find you." Ico lied, "That means that as long as you are in the town, these bad things will continue to happen, unfortunately you're going to have to leave us, but I've hired an outlander guide for you, even though he's not one of us he seems trustworthy."

"But I don't want to leave." Nico complained, lowering his head to stare at his knees.

"But you **have ** to leave and you have to do it tonight." Ico rose and looked down on the boy, it would be dark soon, "Right now, go get your bow, you'll be needing it."

Before long they were at the gates, they'd taken two horses from the stable with them, no one in the town actually owned a horse, they were more communal than anything, of course some riders would form a special bond with a certain horse, a common occurrence, but not one that was impossible to work around.

The gate, as usual was open, unusually there were two bodies which had been guarding it slumped against the huge wooden doors. And standing in the gate arch, was Wander. Ico carried another mysterious parcel, this one was a little shorter than the other, but Nico guessed it was some sort of weapon, a sword perhaps.

"Is that it?" Wander asked as he saw what Ico was carrying, the elderly man nodded, "Then we're square." Ico tossed the bundle to Wander, who peeked beneath the wrappings and smiled a little.

"Is this the guide?" Nico questioned, his grandfather nodded, "But he doesn't even have a horse." As if in response Ico released the reigns and the horse he'd been holding, a big black stallion, trotted its way over to its master, Wander gave it a gentle pat on the neck before swinging up into the saddle.

"I couldn't get the bow, I'm sorry." Ico apologized.

"I can make another." Wander replied, "Besides, Nico can shoot for me when he gets good enough."

Nico was rather confused at this point, was he to ride with his grandfather, that would make them both very saddle sore, why not get three horses? In the darkness Nico saw his shadow lengthen as a light approached from behind, he turned to see High Shaman Eril flanked by a group of warriors on each side. "Time for the off!" Wander yelled, Ico shoved Nico up into the saddle, but then passed the reigns to Wander, the stranger began to gallop away as Ico turned toward the approaching warriors, Nico glanced back to see his grandfather retrieve another sword from under his cloak, a broader sword which buzzed with a strange energy. He saw a small part of the engagement and yelled back to his beloved grandpa, but he got no reply other than the stranger telling him to stow it, pretty soon they were out of sight.

Having left Ico behind, Nico realized that he had left part of himself behind as well, he'd left the child he had been behind, he realized what a noble thing his grandpa had done for him, what a fate he must have endured, or was still enduring. They had slowed down from their fevered pace by now and the stranger looked back to him, still not relinquishing his reigns, "I'm Wander." he said, the name was familiar, but it didn't register with Nico, nothing did, "Suit yourself." Wander growled and turned forward.

"Nico." The boy replied half heartedly, running his fingers along the bow his grandpa had given him, a sign of his manhood, a sign that he needn't be a child any more.

"Nice to meet you Nico, we're going to get to know each other **real** well."


End file.
